Sheet-feeding mechanism of printing and like machines



Aug. 7, 1923. 1,464.200

w. CHIPPERFIELD SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM OF PRINTING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed April 13. 1921 3%; Gwen m1 a k Patented Aug. 7, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER CHIPPERFIELD, 0F HORNCHURCH, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO A. B. DICK COlvIPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SHEET-FEEDING- MECHANISM OF PRINTING AND LIKE MACHINES.

Application filed April 13,

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER Crrrrrnn- FIELD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Kinkora, Great Nelmes, Hornchurch, Essex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in sheet Feeding Mechanism of Printing and like Machines (for which I have filed an application in Great Britain January 19, 1920, No. 1,646, Patent No. 162,052), of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in type printing, duplicating and like machines and has special reference to means forinsuring registration of sheets of paper when fed through the machine either by hand or by automatic means.

In machines of this class as previously manufactured there have been employed two feed rollers which grip each sheet of paper fed thereto, and carry the same between the impression roller and the printing cylinder. These feed rollers have hitherto, in the constructions with which I am familiar, been so arranged that continuous motion has been imparted to them. In this prior construction, one of these rollers has been acted upon by a mechanism which permits contact of the gripping surfaces of the rollers to be broken sutficiently to allow a sheet of paper to pass between the same, without disturbing the rotation of the rollers. A paper gauge has also been employed against which the forward edge of a sheet engages after passing through the opening between the two feed rollers, and at a certain point during the rotation of the printing cylinder the feed rollers are caused to grip the sheet of paper, and the gauge device has been removed from the .path of the paper, and the sheet fed forward by the feed rollers between the impression roller and printin cylinder.

ith such machines the continual rotation of the feed rollers presents certain disadvantages in that when these rollers close together to grip a sheet there is a tendency for the proper registration of the sheet to be rendered uncertain.

In the present invention means are provided. whereby the feed rollers are only caused to rotate after they have gripped the sheet, at the time when the sheet is about to be presented to the impression roller and 1921. Serial No. 461,016.

the printing cylinder. By this means a much better registration of the sheet will be obtained, than in the prior constructions referred to. i i

In order that a clearer understandingof my invention may-be had, attention is hereby directed tothe accompanying drawings forming part of this application and illustrating one embodiment of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, the printing cylinder 1 may be mounted on a suitable shaft supported between the side standards Secured to the cylinder is a spur gear 4c, andmotion is imparted to the cylinder by the handle 5 on crank 6 rotating on spindle 7, pinion 8 secured on spindle 7 engaging the pinion 9 which rotates with'the cylinder.

h lounted on a stud or pin 10 is a lever 11, hereafter termed a throwout lever. This le ver has, as illustrated, three arms, one of the same 11 carrying stud 12 at its upper end. Pinion 13 is mounted on this stud and engages the gear 4 of the printing cylinder during the printing action.

Secured to the boss of pinion13, and rotatable thercwith, is a disc 14, and this disc carries a pair of rollers 15, 15 which are movable with the disc and are adapted to act upon acam surface or track 16 formed on or secured to one of the cylinder walls. Pinion 13 engages at all times a pinion 17 secured on a spindle 18 which is coaxial with pins 1.0, spindle 18 having its ends bored out to receive and rotate upon the pins 10, in the two side frames 3.

Spindle 18 carries the top feed rollers 19 and pinion 17 is adapted to engage a pinion 20 secured on a spindle 21 which is carried in open bearings, in the embodiment of my invention illustrated, formed in arms 22, these latter being secured on a shaft 23 which is supported by the side frames 3 of the machine. Springs 23* are secured to one of the arms 11" of the throw-oiit lever 11. Mounted upon spindle 21 are the lower feed rollers 26. 7

1b e ssee e zt pap r sam r a a ro flicarriedby the side standards 3, this rod having fingers 28 thereon whichin their operative position project upwardly behind the adjacei tisurfaces of rollers, 19 andlgfi, as showninlfigpl Rod 27 carries anta mww p t ol ed ya r s 30, t oth r: and: f he pri g be cu d. to a pinion stnd secured to one of the side standT ards 3, this spring tending to hold fingers 28. in the.. raised positionshown in Fig. 2. 27 alsocarries a trip arm 31 which adapted to be acted upon by the end of screw 32 which is adj ustably mounted in a lug ,form ed adjacent to the bottom encl 0f lever ll,engagementof or screw 32 with arm 3lqr esu ltin g in the lowering of fingers 28. ,A spring 33 is secured to the lower end of lever 11 the iother encl of the spring bei i 545 secnred to a frame member 3 of the chine; e. dsnsy 1 t String being to presspinion lfi towards the gear it, the three arms referredtoof lever 11 swinging abput the axis ot spindle 18 as a centre.

,111 operatiom during the time a, sheet of e era b i a p in he p r s i of the printing; cylinder is in :mesh with the pinion 13, as is shown in Fig. 3, rotation being, communicated through pinions 13, 17 and to thejeed rollers lfi and 26 Trip ar tfil hast e e. Mtetla'P b Screw 32 to lower fingers 28 out of the path of sheets fed between feed rollers 19 and 26, and the sheet of P4961; is fed by the feedirollers be tween theimpression roller and printing cyle i or pr n in ,r On fur ther rota-t1 n ofthe printing cylinder the rollers 15 and 15 carrieclrbyrdiso 14 side on the cam surface or track 16, as 'is shown inFig.v 2. This causesa rocking motion tobeimparted to lever 11 so that pinion 13 carried thereby isdisengaged from spur gear 4'and the rotation of feed rollers 19 and 26 immediatelyceas'es. Atuthe san' e time arm 1120f lever 11 swings clownwardly to cause roller gfntopress upon projection 24, so that spindle 21 is pressed downwardly, lagainst the spring 23}, this effecting a. sepa ration of the feed rollers26 from rollers 19. lfheswinging of the throw-out lever referred to also moves pin 32 away from trip arm 31 and permits rod, 27 to be rotated by spring 30 soa's to bring fingers 28 into their upper or operative position hehind and slightly above the point of contact of feed rollers 19 and as is shown in 2 In this position, the feed rollers heihg separated and at rest the sheet of paper is fed forward between therfeedwrollers until its forward edge registers againstfingers 28.

On further rotation of the printing Vcyl inder the rollers 15, 15 drop down on to a recessed pbrti'on of the-Cam or track 16. This actioncauses sufficient movement of the throw-out lever 1.1 to bring the two feed rolllers 19 and .26 together, the sheet of pa per being gripped t'hereloyg blit, these rollers still reip a in stationary iniisii'iucli as the rocking motion ,of theth'row-ont lever has been ins'niiicientto'c use the pinion 13 to mesh witlijspur gear Further move'iiien't of the njint ingcylim der causes the roller 15 to ride bit the recessed surface 16. Further ,moveinent is now afforded to the throw-out lever 11', so that thejspring 33 caiis e's pin [32 to strike against trip 31 to rock rod 27 and cause fia ersns to be lowered Further moxiement of the oylinder causes the roller 15* to (ride icl'earjo'f the cam o'rQtraok whereupoii the pinion 13 again meshes with spur gear- 1, feed rollers 19 26 are set in motion, and the. sheet of pap'er is fed by theinbe tweenthe impression roller and the printing cylinder', v r a It shoultl be jingle-stood tli at'fny invention is not limited strict v to the details of constructipndescribed Tout is as broad as is in dicate by the accompanying claims What 1 enn i-s1 A Insheet feedi ri g mechaiiism', the com bip'atio'h of l'feeci rolle'rs, a printing rrn deniidearis tend'in' to press said rollers together, gear tram for ,IQtati'ng said rollers during a part the rotatjionfot saidfcyjli'nder a nd eans for dis co' nnec'ting said ear trainto stop the rota ion of said rollers luring another part out the rotation ofsaid cy'llnde li I; V V I 2. In sheet feedin'g inechanism, the e6 hination i of feed rollers, a printing "cylinder, means tendi v to press said r llers together, a gear train orrotating sna milers a part of theflfotation of sai cvli nder, arid means effective during another part of t'e rotation of said cylinder, for disconnecting said gear train, and separating said rollers from each other. 2 v p a 3, In sheetjeeding mechanism, the combination of feed rollers, a printiri cylinder, a

gear on said cylinder, p yota ly m oi nted daring a port-ion the, rotation of said icy!- nder. for 'mov ng and holding said *pimdn out of mesh with said gear.

4. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of feed rollers, a printing cylinder, a gear on said cylinder, a pivotally mounted pinion, means tending to press pinion into mesh with said gear to drive said rollers, a cam disk rotatable with said pinion, and means including a cam surface carried on said cylinder and engaging said cam disk during a portion of the rotation of said cylinder for moving and holding said pinion out of mesh with said gear and for holding said pinion against rotation on its axis.

5. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of feed rollers, a printing cylinder, a gear on said cylinder, a pivotallymounted pinion, means tending to press saidpmion into mesh with said gear to drive said rollers, a cam disk rotatable with said pinion, means including a cam surface carried on said cylinder and engaging said cam disk during a portion of the rotation of said cylinder for moving and holding said pinion out of mesh with said gear and for holding said pinion against rotation on its axis, a gauge member, connections between said gauge member and said cam disk, and means comprising a second cam surface carr1ed on said cylinder and engaging said cam disk during another portion of the rotation of said cylinder for moving said gauge member out of the path of a sheet passing between said rollers and for holding said pinion out of mesh with said gear and against rotation about 1ts axis.

6. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a printing cylinder, a gear and cam rotatable therewith, a pair of feed rollers, an arm pivoted on the shaft of the upper roller, a pinion on said arm, adapted to mesh with said gear, a pinion on said upper roller meshing with said first, pinion, means for rotating the lower roller from the upper roller-,and means carried by said arm,

engaged by said cam for a portion of the revolution of said cylinder, for moving said rollers, a movable bearing for the lower roller, an arm pivoted on the shaft of the upper roller, a pinion on said arm, adapted to mesh with said gear, a pinion on said upper roller, meshing with said first pinion, means for rotating the lower from the upper roller, means carried by said arm, engaged by said cam for a portion of the revolution of said cylinder, for moving said first pinion out of mesh with said gear, and an arm movable with said first arm, as the latter swings away from said gear, for engaging against said movable bearing for separating said rollers.

8. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a printing cylinder, a gear and cam rotatable therewith, a pair of feed rollers, an arm pivoted on the shaft of the upper roller, a pinion on said arm, adapted to mesh with said gear, a pinion on said upper roller, meshing with said first pinion, means for rotating the lower roller from the upper roller, a gauge member, means, carried by said arm, engaged by said cam for a portion. of the revolution of said cylinder, for moving said first pinion out of mesh with saidgear, means for at the same time holding said gauge member in the path of a sheet passed between said rollers, and a member movable with said arm, when said first pinion returns into mesh with said gear, to press said gauge member out of the path of a sheet passing between said rollers.

This specification signed and witnessed this 18th day of March, 1921.

-WALTER CHIPPERFIELD. 

